“Michael, I—”
He holds his hand up to stop me.
“Please. Let me finish. It’s important to me that you understand where I’m at with this.” He takes a moment before continuing. “I shouldn’t have left you alone for so long. I should’ve come here earlier and things would’ve been different. This is all my fault, Nina, and I’m going to fix this. We’re going to be together.”
“Michael, I…” I stop, rethinking what I was about to say. Anything I say now is only going to aggravate him, which is not what I want. I want to keep him calm, until I figure out how to get myself out of this mess. I see the flash of anger in his eyes and realize I’m too late. He’s upset.
“What, Nina? You think you love him?” He laughs harshly. “You found solace in his arms because you felt that I abandoned you, and I need to rectify that. One way or another, we’re going to be together. We have to be,” he mutters, almost to himself.
He stands up and paces the room, mumbling under his breath. I try to think up a plan, but I’m too frazzled to think about anything other than that gun. How do I explain to him that me falling in love with Adam had nothing to do with him at all? Then it hits me. I don’t explain it, because that will kill any hope he has of us being together. My heart races. He’s going to kill me. He’s going to kill me, and then he’s going to kill himself if he thinks there is no chance for us.
Oh my God, he’s fucking crazy.
“I have to go out and get some things,” he murmurs. He glances at me and frowns. “I need to figure out what to do.”
I protest as he drags me over to the furnace. He’s rough, twisting my arm as he pulls out a roll of duct tape, wrapping my wrists securely around the pipe. I struggle, but it’s no use.
“Please,” I gasp, wincing as my fingers go numb. “You don’t need to do this.”
“I’m sorry, it’s the only way,” he says. “The way you are at the moment, I can’t trust you. I know the real you is buried in there somewhere, but until I see her, I have to treat you as hostile.” He sighs, the slightest glimmer of regret in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles again. He rips a strip of tape off and secures it over my mouth.
I panic. With all the crying, my nose is blocked and I can barely breathe. The more worked up I get the harder it becomes. He crouches down so he’s level with my face, his eyes glaring into mine.
“Fucking relax, Nina. I’m not going to hurt you, I just have to keep you safe.”
He stalks out of the room, slamming the door shut. I sit there on the floor, my wrists bound around the furnace. I’ve got to get out of here. He’s going to kill me. I need to get out of here before he gets back. I’ve never been more determined in my life.
I sit there for what feels like hours, grinding the tape on my hands back and forth against the pipe. My wrists ache as the friction burns my skin, but I keep going, because I know I have to be gone before he gets back. Otherwise… God, I can’t even think about it.
Finally, my constraints break. I rub my shaking hands and then rip the tape off my mouth. Gasping, I blink back tears, my body shaking as I try to figure out what to do. My phone. I lunge onto the bed and grab my phone. As I hold it in my hands, I hear him. Oh God, he’s back. Quickly, I type out a text to Adam and press send.
Me: Inn, rm 3. Hostage. Pls help.
I drop the phone and kick it under the bed and then reach for a glass, tucking it into the back of my pants. I don’t know what I plan to do with it, but I feel more prepared having something. He walks in and stares at me, confused. My hands shake as I face him, ready to defend myself if I have to.
“You broke free,” he growls. “This is not proving your trust, Nina.”
“I needed to go to the toilet,” I mumble. He stares at me for a moment as if he’s wondering if he can trust what I’m saying. Finally, he nods.
“Then go,” he says, nodding toward the bathroom.
As I walk past him, I lunge at him, striking him with the glass. He yelps in pain, wrestling me to the floor. As his hand clutches mine, the glass slips and cracks on the floor. With all my strength, I bring it down to his stomach, the shard of glass slicing through his skin.
And then I hear it. The sound of a gunshot rings through the air. At first, I think he’s shot himself, but then I see the blood. It’s my blood. I clutch my stomach while he stares at me, his eyes wide with shock. I glance down and watch the blood seep through my fingers.
“God, Nina. I didn’t mean…”
He stops and stands up, racing to the window. I hear sirens in the distance, but they’re getting fainter, not louder. My breathing shallows. I’m drifting out of consciousness.
I see the bathroom door is only feet away, and I know I can make it. With all the strength I can muster, I crawl through the door and slam it shut, locking it from the inside. I lean my body up against it, my heart racing. Oh God, it hurts so much.
“You fucking bitch. You called the police?”
I jump at the sound of his voice and close my eyes, clutching onto my wound as I try to not pass out. I just need to hold on. The police are here. They’ll fix this and everything can go back to normal.
“How could you do this to me?” he cries. I jump again as a loud bang vibrates through the door. It takes me a moment to figure out it was probably his fist. “All I wanted to do was love you. All I wanted was to give you a life that could be for us and no one else. I love you, Nina. I’ve always loved you.”
“You don’t do this to someone you love,” I whisper, my voice barely audible.
I can hear him pacing back and forth, and I’m waiting for the moment where he decides to shoot through the door. He knows any shots fired is would result in the police storming into our room. Which wouldn’t be the worst thing for me.
I glance down at my wound and wonder how much longer I have until I bleed out. I know he knows that he’s running out of options, but at what point will he just not care anymore? If he thinks he’s not getting out of this alive, then he might just decide to end it and take me with him. I shiver and run my hands over my bare arms. My skin is like ice. I’m so cold, and I feel I’m about to throw up, but I’m doing everything I can to hold on.
Hours pass and I feel myself getting weaker. The darker it gets, the colder it gets, and I’m drifting in and out of consciousness. Michael still paces outside the bathroom door, muttering to himself. Every time he gets close, I brace myself, waiting for him to break through the door. Please help me. Please, God. Please let me get through this alive. I’ll do whatever I have to do to be a better person, but please let me survive this.
I’m so cold. My teeth chatter as I try to keep myself warm. My breathing is getting shallow, and every breath feels like a knife is driving through my stomach. I lift my hand to check the bleeding. It’s clotting, which is a good sign, but there is so much blood.
“Nina, just come out so we can talk about this,” Michael begs me. I don’t reply because I can’t find the energy to talk. “For fuck’s sake, Nina. Don’t make me shoot my way through that fucking door.”
I bury my face in my hands. How did this turn into such a nightmare? I don’t know this man. I’ve known him my whole life, and he’s never shown any indication that he could be this unstable.
As I drift in and out of sleep—or consciousness—I’m not sure which one at this point, I’m jolted awake by of a series of bangs. My heart races with each sound. Oh my God, they’re gunshots. I wait for him to storm into the room, but he never comes. Instead, I hear voices. Lots of voices, but none of them Michael’s.
“He’s gone.”
“Get the body out here.”
I gasp, clasping my hand over my mouth. Body? That can only mean one thing. Tears sting my eyes. I’m grieving for the friend I never really knew. How can this be happening? It’s like a bad nightmare I just want to wake up from.
“Nina, this is Officer Jeffries. Are you able to come over and unlock the door so we can get you out of there?”
&n
bsp; I whimper in response. I’m in shock and unable to move. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t have the strength. I shiver, my teeth chattering as my body shakes uncontrollably. I just want to sleep…
“Nina, we’re going to have to kick the door down. Stay back and remain calm. It’s just us, okay? You’re going to be fine.”
I cower in the corner and cover my face with my hands as they kick down the door. Two officers come running in. The female officer comes straight over to me and wraps a blanket around me, while the other officer calls for the ambulance.
“Nina, we need to get you to hospital. You’ve lost a lot of blood. Is there anyone we can call for you?” she asks gently. I shake my head, shivering. I close my eyes, a wave of dizziness hitting me.
As they lift me onto the waiting stretcher, I black out…
Eighteen
Nina
So much pain.
I wince and twist my head around and open my eyes, taking a moment to figure out where I am. When I see Adam sitting, head down, in the chair next to me, I manage a small smile. I wince. God, even smiling hurts. I attempt to shift positions in the bed, but I quickly realize what a bad idea that is as pain tears through me. I gasp, loud enough to startle Adam. He sits up, jerking forward, his eyes fluttering open.
“You’re awake,” he murmurs. My heart races because all I want to do is remember what happened. “Don’t you ever do that to me again,” I laugh and wince again, clutching my stomach.
“I’m so sorry for everything,” I croak. “I owe you an explanation—”
“Not right now you,” he cuts me off. “Don’t worry about any of that. You’ve got to recover and get yourself better, and then we can talk. Okay?” I nod and he smiles at me, taking my hand in his. “I just want you to know I’m not angry at you for anything, and anything you want to tell me, I’ll listen. I’m never going to judge you, okay? I just want you to know that you can trust me.”
I smile weakly and close my eyes. I feel like I could sleep forever, or at least for the next few days. A nurse comes in to check me over, and to dose me up on painkillers. I fight the urge to close my eyes, but quickly lose the battle.
“I can’t keep awake,” I mutter, feeling drowsy.
“Then don’t.” He smiles. “I’ll be right here beside you. You just get some rest,” he soothes me.
He’s still there when I wake up. I sit forward, feeling so much better than before. The doctor tells me I’ve been in and out of consciousness for days. I’m shocked, because it felt like hours ago I woke up with Adam beside me.
“He hasn’t left,” the doctor points out. “I kept telling him to go home and shower, but he refused to leave you.” Adam flushes and glares at the doctor. I’m not sure whether he’s insulted or embarrassed.
“You’re lucky to be alive. You lost a lot of blood,” the doctor tells me. “You’ll need to take it easy for a few weeks while your body heals.”
“When can I get out of here?” I ask.
“That depends on where you’re going. If you’re staying alone, I’d like to keep you in longer. If you have someone who you can stay with, then I can discharge you tomorrow.”
“She’ll be staying with me,” Adam says immediately. I turn to him in surprise.
The fact that he came to my rescue speaks volumes to me. I still haven’t properly thanked him for all he did for me. I haven’t been fair to him. I should’ve trusted him a lot more than I have. I owe him an explanation and I want to give it to him, but I’m scared of getting him any more involved than he already is. I laugh. He saved me after I was shot in the stomach by someone who was supposed to be my friend. How much more involved can he get?
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“I’ve been here for seventy-six hours straight,” he says. “What do you think?”
I laugh, gasping as pain slices through me. “Who is looking after the kids?”
“My father,” he says quietly. “You scared me, Nina. I thought I’d lost you.”
“I’m still here,” I whisper.
“Are you?” he asks softly.
The doctors finally release me the following day, on the condition that I go stay with Adam. He insists I stay with him inside his house, refusing to accept that I could stay in the cabin. It’s pointless arguing with him, so I agree.
He takes me home and sets me up in his bedroom, insisting that he’s going to sleep on the couch. I try to argue, but again, it’s pointless. The guy is ruthless when it comes to getting his way.
“Can I get you anything?” he asks, studying me. “Tea? Coffee? Water? Wire cutter?”
I laugh and then clutch my side. “For the love of God, please don’t make me laugh,” I gasp.
“Sorry,” he murmurs with a grin. “I just want to make sure you’re comfortable.”
“I’m fine,” I say. “Stop fussing over me. What I’d like is to talk to you. There are some things that I want to tell you about myself that I feel you deserve to know.”
He sits down and takes my hand, waiting for me to continue. I take a deep breath, knowing if I don’t tell him this now, I never will.
“I came to St. Simons to get away from my family. My father was planning to marry me off to settle a debt between him and a rival mob family.” I pause, trying to find the right words to continue. “My father is part of the Russian mafia. To be honest, I don’t completely know what he does, because I’ve kept myself out of his world. But when he started involving me in things I didn’t want to be a part of, that’s when I knew I had to get out. The night I left was the night of my engagement party, and Michael helped me escape. He organized everything, right down to my train ticket here and where I was going to stay when I got here.”
“Michael was…” his voice trails off as I nod.
“The man who shot me. The man that was killed.”
It feels so surreal to say those words. I don’t know how to feel about his death. He wasn’t the person I thought he was, but he was still such a big part of my life.
“His plan was to join me down the road, and we’d set up a life somewhere else.”
“Together,” he asks with a frown.
“That was never in my plan,” I assure him. “Michael’s always been like a brother to me. I had no idea that he felt differently. He’d been in love with me since we were kids, apparently.” I shake my head, feeling sick. “I don’t how I missed those signs, but I did. I blame myself, to be honest. I feel like I led him on. I feel like I led him to do this, and now he’s—”
“You did no such thing,” he growls. “You’re such a sweet, loving girl, I wouldn’t be surprised if every guy you meet harbors feelings for you, Amanda… Nina.” He shakes his head. “Shall I call you Amanda or Nina?” he asks.
I shrug. “You can call me whatever you like, so long as you call me,” I joke. He chuckles.
“Good to see your corny sense of humor wasn’t damaged,” he teases.
I poke my tongue out at him and then turn serious again.
“I understand this is a deal breaker for you. In fact, I’d encourage you to have nothing to do with me,” I whisper.
“You can encourage me all you like, I think we both know that’s not going to happen,” he retorts.
“I just worry…I’m not sure what my father is capable of. Not to mention, all the people who want revenge against my father. I grew up my entire life with a bodyguard, Adam, so there has to be a reason for that. I’d never forgive myself if you or the kids got hurt because of me.” I study his face, wanting him to know I really mean what I’m about to say next. “I just really want you to think about whether you want to commit to that.”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easy,” he murmurs. “From now on, the only thing you have to do is get better. Just relax and focus on you. Let me worry about the rest, okay?”
I smile, my heart racing. It hits me how lucky I am to have this man in my life.
“Okay,” I whisper. “Now, go get me that tea.”
> He chuckles. “Yes, boss. Though you didn’t actually answer that you wanted a tea. I’m not a mind reader, Nina,” he murmurs.
I watch him walk into the kitchen and realize how lucky I am. Not many people would’ve been as understanding as he has been. I lied about so much to him, but the one thing I never lied about was my feelings. Everything I’ve felt for Adam since I arrived in St. Simons has been real and unexpected. For the first time in a long time, I’m looking forward and not back. There is still the chance my father will find me, but I can’t think about that right now. I’m so sick of hiding. I want to enjoy my life, instead of running from it, and I want to enjoy it with Adam.
“What are you grinning about?” he asks me as he walks back into the room, carrying my tea. I take it and sit it down on the table.
“Just how lucky I am,” I murmur.
He chuckles. “You’ve got a funny definition of lucky, Nina. You’re on the run from your father, and you were shot by the man who was like a brother to you. Where exactly does the luck come into it?”
I smile and take his hand. “You. You’re where it all changes.” He smiles and kisses my hand, pulling me into his arms.
“I hope that’s true, Nina. More than anything, I hope that’s true.”
Nineteen
Adam
“So where to from here?”
She sits across from me, her expression full of anxiety. I reach over and take her hand, wanting to assure her that I’m here for her. She’s been through so much that I just want her to know that we’re not something she needs to worry about, because I have no intention of going anywhere.
She won’t look at me, so I move closer and place my hands on her face, gently tilting her head up. I kiss her softly on the mouth, her touch electric against mine. God, no matter how many times I kiss this woman that feeling never dulls. She resists at first but then kisses me back, letting out a soft whimper as I wipe away the tears that are beginning to roll down her cheeks. Her sadness makes my heart break and I realize just how far I’d go to make her happy. I’d do anything for her, because that’s what you do when you love someone. You do whatever you can to take away their pain.
Claiming Nina Page 13
